Joe Mixon or Jaylen Warren: Who should you start in Week 13 Fantasy Football 

Joe Mixon and Jaylen Warren will enter Week 13 of the 2023 fantasy football season with relatively similar values. They each rank among the top 25 overall players in their position this year, making them RB2s on many fantasy rosters. Neither of them is necessarily a lineup lock, so some managers with both on their rosters may be debating who to start this week.

The following breakdown can help make this decision easier. It will analyze how each of them has performed in recent weeks, as well as their direct weekly matchups, to determine which running back is the more favorable lineup option in Week 13 fantasy football.

Is Joe Mixon a good fantasy pick in Week 13?

Joe Mixon's fantasy value

Joe Mixon has been the unchallenged workhorse for the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2023 NFL season, as he has been for most of his career. This has resulted in receiving a solid 17 touches per game and playing in more than 75 percent of their offensive snaps. He has turned that into being the overall RB2 in fantasy football entering Week 13.

The veteran running back also enters this week in strong form. He has finished among the top ten running backs in three of his past five games, marking the only three times this season he has done so. With quarterback Joe Burrow suffering a season-ending injury, it seems that the Bengals will lean on Mixon more than usual.

The Bengals will have a challenging matchup in Week 13 against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday Night Football. It will be especially difficult for Mixon as the Jaguars are allowing the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. He is still expected to receive heavy volume, so his fantasy football managers are hoping that will be enough to overcome it.

Is Jaylen Warren a good fantasy pick in Week 13?

Jaylen Warren's fantasy value

Jaylen Warren has turned things around in fantasy football in recent weeks, emerging as an asset in many lineups. He has finished among the top 15 running backs in PPR leagues in three of the past four weeks after failing to do so in any of his first seven games. This comes as a result of the Pittsburgh Steelers choosing to give him more touches in their offensive scheme.

Najee Harris opened the 2023 fantasy football season as the leading running back for the Steelers but works in a near-even split with Jaylen Warren. While both running backs are in solid form right now, Warren has outscored Harris in fantasy football in three of the past four weeks and averages more yards per touch this season.

Warren's consistent efficiency and proven explosiveness have given him plenty of upside with his newly increased usage. He will have an ideal opportunity to keep his hot streak rolling in Week 13 against the Arizona Cardinals. They are currently allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to running backs, giving Warren a bright weekly outlook.

Joe Mixon vs Jaylen Warren: Who should I start in Week 13 fantasy football?

Waren vs Mixon

According to the Start/Sit Optimizer, Jaylen Warren makes for a better running back option than Joe Mixon in fantasy football lineups for Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season. This valuable tool weighs every possible variable for any player in a given week to generate fantasy projections and lineup suggestions. In this particular scenario, it favors Warren for a higher projected output.

The Optimizer is expecting Warren to be the more productive back, both as a rusher and a receiver. His additional projected receiving contributions could be extremely valuable, especially in PPR leagues. He has recorded at least three receptions in nine of his 11 games this year, so it's one of his valuable weapons.

The only area where Mixon received better projections is in touchdown probability. This makes sense as Mixon receives almost all of the Bengals' red zone carries, while the Steelers often utilize Najee Harris in goalline situations. Despite Mixon's better likelihood of scoring a touchdown this week, it's not enough to overcome his difficult weekly matchup. Warren should potentially thrive in his favorable one for fantasy football, despite sharing the backfield workload with Harris.